


Selfish

by directium



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Blood, Child Death, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gaslighting, Gun Violence, Threats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 02:59:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11750661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/directium/pseuds/directium
Summary: "You areselfish, David, no matter how much you want to pretend that you're not. You're willing to hurt people, and you're willing to turn a blind eye while others do the hurting."





	Selfish

This had to be a dream.

Any minute now, David would wake up back in the counselor's cabin to the early morning sounds of the forest mixed with Gwen's complaints about the lack of hot water. He'd leap out of bed with overwhelming excitement and hurry off to the mess hall to prepare the day's activities before the campers could arise.

Any minute now, he'd no longer be trapped in some dark room on his knees, his hands restrained behind his back as he stared at the terrified children several feet in front of him, their arms also tied behind their backs. Neil was sobbing uncontrollably, his pleas muffled by the cloth that covered his mouth. Nikki's head was low, her little body trembling and the occasional tear hitting the cold ground beneath her.

And Max...

David could tell that Max was trying so hard to appear brave as he glared daggers at the smiling, blonde-haired man circling them like a hungry predator. But there was no hiding the absolute fear in his bright green eyes or missing the way he'd flinch as Daniel's hand gently brushed the top of their heads while he circled them.

They were scared. Of _course_ they were scared.

"This isn't a dream, David."

David's horrified expression melted into shock as he shifted his gaze to Daniel. "Can...you read minds?"

Daniel frowned. "No, you idiot. But in my experience, the first thought that people tend to have in this situation is that they're dreaming. A desperate, naive hope that I will disappear once they open their eyes. And considering you are both a desperate and naive man, it's fair to assume that your thought process is in the same boat."

"Daniel, please..." David said, his voice shaking. "Why are you doing this? What's going on?"

Daniel let out a laugh as he came to a stop by Max, his hand continuing to gently touch the curly mess of hair atop his head. "Now, now, David. I know you're an idiot, but surely you must understand what's happening by now."

"I don't!" David said honestly, as tears began to form at the corner of his eyes. "I don't know what's happening! Please, just tell me!"

Daniel removed his hand from the top of Max's head and knelt down beside him. "Max? Care to explain the situation to David? You're good at running your mouth, right?"

Max glared viciously at him as Daniel loosened the cloth that muffled him, allowing him a chance to speak. "Fuck you, you piece of shit-"

"And that's enough of that."

Despite Max's best attempts to bite Daniel's hand, Daniel retied the cloth in place before he reached over to place a hand on Nikki's shoulder. "What about you, Nikki? You're a smart little lady, aren't you? Would you like to explain the situation to David?"

Nikki curled away from Daniel's touch as best she could and Daniel pulled his hand back. "No? Well, it looks like Neil's our lucky boy today. How about it, Neil? Would you like to tell David why you're all here?"

He positioned himself directly behind Neil and loosened his cloth. "H-he's going to kill us," Neil managed to say between heavy sobs.

"And why is that?" Daniel asked. "Come on, Neil, I know you love to explain things."

"H-He's a cultist, David!" Neil choked out. "A real cultist... We weren't lying about that!"

"I knew at least one of you would be compliant," Daniel said, once again retying the cloth in place over Neil's mouth. "But you get the idea, David. At least, I hope you do. I'd like to give you the benefit of the doubt and not assume that you really are _that_ dense."

David looked from the kids to Daniel as things finally began to click. "Cultist...but..."

"But what, David?" Daniel asked, tilting his head with a sickening crack as he stood up. "Are you finally catching onto something that a group of _children_ figured out the moment I stepped into camp?"

"Wait, but if you're really a cultist," David said slowly. "You...you _were_ trying to kill the kids! They were telling the truth about you!"

Daniel clapped his hands together in a cheerfully sarcastic fashion. "Well done, David! Though I've never been fond of the term 'cultist' personally. It just seems so...negative. But I suppose if the shoe fits, I might as well wear it! Yes, I am a cultist. I came to the camp in order to purify and sacrifice the children to my Gods. Well, that was the plan, until a meddling little counselor with a guitar distracted me long enough while I foolishly took a sip of my own poison. I mean, if I were one to hold a grudge, then I would probably be _pretty_ upset over that. Maybe even have the desire to get revenge on the person who put me in the hospital in the first place."

David stared at him, as realization took hold. "Daniel, if you're mad at me, then fine. You can do anything you want to me, just please, don't hurt them!"

"'Don't hurt them', he says," Daniel said with a fond chuckle, as he approached David. "Of course your first instinct is to try and protect the kids. Sweet, unselfish David, always putting others first, especially his little campers."

Daniel took a knee so that he and David were eye-to-eye, his expression a look of false concern. "Oh, but, wait... If you're so unselfish, then why is it that you broke a man's nose simply for dating your ex? If you're so sweet, then why did you openly insult a child for simply not knowing the different types of trees?"

David stared at him, mouth agape. "How...how did you know all that?"

"Sleepy Peak is a small town, David," Daniel explained. "Information is so easy to retrieve in a place where people have nothing better to do then to spread it. And it's even easier to retrieve it from people who _want_ to spread it. And I've heard plenty of things about you in particular. Very _unpleasant_ things."

"I...I know I shouldn't have hurt Jacob," David admitted. "It was wrong, and I even paid for his hospital bill as a way to make it up to him. And Jeremy-"

Daniel shook his head. "Tsk tsk, David. Excuses are the coward's method to avoid the truth."

"Th-the truth?" David asked.

"You're not all sunshine and camping, David." Daniel stood up and headed back to where the children were situated. "You're not a kind person who wants to make everyone happy. You are _selfish_ , David, no matter how much you want to pretend that you're not. You're willing to hurt people, and you're willing to turn a blind eye while others do the hurting." He came to a stop besides Max and knelt down again. "I mean, your own campers can't even turn to you for safety when someone with the intent to kill them enters the campgrounds. Look at Max here-"

Max attempted to jerk away from Daniel's grasp, but Daniel held his chin in a tight grip and forced him to look at David. "He went on and on about how I was a cult leader bent on sacrificing him and his buddies, and did you believe him?"

"Let go of him!"

Anger overtaking his fear for a moment, David made an attempt to lunge forward, only to cry out in pain as his restraints kept him firmly in place.

"Answer the question, David!" Daniel ordered, anger crossing his face for the first time. "Did. You. Believe. Him?"

"I..." David hung his head. "I didn't."

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear that," Daniel said, putting a hand to his ear. "Say it again?"

"I didn't," David repeated louder.

"Didn't what, David?"

"I didn't trust him," David said loud enough for Daniel to hear.

"You didn't trust him," Daniel repeated, his smile returning as he let go of Max. "You didn't trust a boy you've known for, I assume, a long while, but you were completely willing to trust a man you barely knew. That's not something a good person normally does."

"I made a mistake," David said. "Is that what you want me to say? That I made a mistake? That I've made plenty of mistakes? That I'm not a good person? I can say it, just _please_ let the kids go."

"Words are cheap, David," Daniel said, as he rose to his feet again and pulled something out from behind his back. "In my experience, actions tend to be more effective."

David felt his blood run cold when he realized what the object was; a gun. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"I mean, I want you to prove to these children that you're not a good person," Daniel explained, as he loaded bullets into the gun. "I want you to prove how selfish you are. With a little choice."

"You...you're not saying-"

"Oh, don't you worry," Daniel assured him. " _You_ won't be the one pulling the trigger. But you will be the one who chooses which of the kids get a bullet in their tiny little skull."

David stared at him in horror. "No...Daniel, please, no, you can't-"

"Or if you'd rather not choose, I could just put one in all three of their heads," Daniel said calmly. "It doesn't matter to me either way how much blood is spilled."

"How can you expect me to choose between them?!" David asked, his voice shaking. "I-I can't-"

"Oh, David. You just can't stop lying, can you?" Daniel asked. "Well, maybe we can make this a little more interesting then. Maybe make it easier for you to show just how selfish you _really_ are."

Daniel leaned down and placed his hand between Max and Nikki, and (despite Max's attempts at struggling) gently scooted Max away from the other two before he stood up straight again. "How does this sound, David? You tell me to spare Neil or Nikki, and I'll only kill Max. But if you pick Max, I'll kill the other two."

David stared at Daniel with a look of horrified disgust. "That's...that's awful! How could you possibly expect me to pick between those choices?!"

"How is it awful, David?" Daniel asked innocently. "Any unselfish person would look at the situation and choose to save two children over one." Once again, he let his hand drift across the top of Max's hair, a motion that Max didn't bother to flinch at this time. "Especially when the one child is such a horrible, little monster like this one. Never willing to do what you say, always yelling and cursing... Frankly I feel like the world would be better off without him, don't you, David?"

"Stop it, Daniel..." David said in a low voice.

Daniel chuckled. "Oh, but of course, you love this particular child, don't you? He's your favorite out of all of them, isn't he? Your little golden boy, the one you want to succeed most out of all of them. Clearly choosing him would be one of the most selfish things you could ever do."

"I...I don't have a favorite."

David had a feeling that Daniel wouldn't believe that in a million years, even before Daniel shook his head disapprovingly. "For shame, David. Do you really want the last words that these children might hear to be more lies? You're really not setting a good example today, are you?"

He cocked the gun. "Now, I've been a patient man. But I do have other things I need to tend to. So you have about ten seconds to decide before I make the choice for you. Max or the other two children."

"Daniel, please..."

"Nine seconds."

Trembling, David looked from Neil and Nikki to Max as his mind raced wildly. "I...I...Can't you just kill _me_ instead?" he pleaded hopefully. "It's me you're clearly mad at, just let the kids go!"

"No, no, no, David," Daniel said disapprovingly. "You don't get to pretend you're a good person _now_ with some kind of heroic sacrifice. It's too little too late for that." 

"But..."

"Six seconds left," Daniel said with a smile. "Five, four..."

"Daniel, _please_!"

"Three, two..." He aimed the gun right at Max's head as Max stared up at the barrel in horror. "One..."

"No!"

David's eyes widened at his own outburst and the implications it carried. Daniel lowered the gun curiously as he looked back at him with a knowing smile. "What was that, David?"

"Don't..." David said softly, guilty tears forming at the corner of his eyes. "Don't..." 

"Don't _what_ , David?" Daniel asked. "I can't read minds, David. You need to make yourself clear if you want me to listen."

"Not him, please..." David said, his words melting into sobs. "Not him..."

"Say it louder for the other kids to hear, David!" Daniel ordered, narrowing his eyes. "Say it, or I'll kill all three of them."

"Don't kill Max," David said loudly, his voice shaking. "Don't kill him, please!"

"'Don't kill Max,'" Daniel repeated with a wide smile. "So you admit you're willing to let two other child die, simply because you happen to like this one child more? You admit that you're selfish?"

"I..."

" _Say it_ , David."

"...I'm selfish," he managed to say loud enough for Daniel to hear. "I'm selfish and I don't want him to die. God, please don't kill him... I can't lose him, please..."

Once again, Daniel clapped sarcastically. "Very good! You should be proud of yourself for finally coming to terms with this. Granted, you did struggle a bit, but that's nothing we can't work on."

David looked towards Neil and Nikki, his heart sinking at the betrayal and pain in their teary eyes. "I'm so sorry, kids. I'm so sorry..."

"Don't apologize," Daniel said, and lifted the gun up again. "You're finally being honest with them. At least they'll die knowing how you really felt."

David hung his head, and recoiled when two gunshots echoed throughout the room, immediately followed by the heavy thud of a body hitting the floor.

Wait...one body?

David felt his blood run cold as he looked up again and saw Max's lifeless body sprawled across the floor. A pool of blood had already began to form beneath him from the two bullet holes now in his head, staining his blue sweater a permanent shade of reddish-brown. Neil and Nikki stared at his body in utter horror, the tears falling harder and their pained sobs muffled by the cloths as they curled towards each other in a feeble and desperate attempt to cope with the traumatic sight.

David looked back at Daniel, his entire body numb with shock as he attempted to find his voice again. "You...you said..."

"I know what I said, David," Daniel said, as he tucked the gun back into the holster. "But why should a selfish liar be granted kindness and truth for his wrongdoings? No, no, the only thing a liar deserves is to live with his guilt. To know just how much he's hurt others. To feel the pain they've felt as a result of his hurtful words. And that's exactly what you're going to do."

David couldn't bring himself to respond as Daniel reached down to remove the cloths over Neil and Nikki's mouths. "Have a fun conversation with your second-favorites, David. I'll be back with another group later. Hopefully by then, you'll have an easier time facing the truth about yourself. And even if you haven't, well, it's like I said before: the amount of blood that spills doesn't bother me."

With a chuckle, Daniel headed for the door as the children's sobs for their dead friend grew louder without the cloths restricting them. David hung his head again, making no effort to calm them down or assure them that everything was going to be okay as the door shut behind Daniel with a sound that couldn't mask their heartbroken cries or their trembling accusations that he had picked Max over them. That he had been willing to let them die.

He knew he had no right to try and explain his choice.

They already knew the reason.

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, my thought process writing this was: How can I make people hate me more than they did after Cry and Hope?
> 
> Because I am a bad person who thrives on the anger and tears of other people.


End file.
